This book moves so fast! I read this series when I was a kid and the plot of Book 3 stuck with me so much that I didn't want to give the books up without giving them a reread in adulthood. I'm not sure I'll ever give it up now. Last Stop is a story about a boy who sees his missing/presumed dead father on a subway platform. He assumes its a hallucination but it feels super real and he has a pushy little female friend who urges him to pursue the lead seriously. The story is interspersed with dialogue and case files from these mysterious "Watchers." You have no idea what the Watchers are all about but it seems like they're interested in paranormal phenomena. This really reminded me of the TV show Fringe, though X-Files and Twilight Zone might be other good comparisons.

I loved how fast paced this book was and how realistic the characters were. I don't spend much time with kids so I'm not sure if it's realistic age-wise, but David our main character approaches everything with a realistic amount of skepticism, he doesn't talk about his feelings even though he has them, and he's willing to break a rule or two to serve his own interests. The kids also watch media, are aware of science fiction as a genre, have opinions about it, and react accordingly. The kids felt a bit edgy and cool, though the sidekick girl was definitely annoying. I had a lot of fun rereading this. ( )

David is a 13 year old whose father disappeared six months ago and is presumed dead. Before he disappeared, though, he was acting very strangely, wandering off for days at a time, and talking baby talk. David is just coming to terms with what happened, when he's riding a subrail (subway) with some friends and sees his father on a platform that doesn't exist, with people that nobody else on the train can see. Of course, David has to investigate, which leads to more questions than answers.

I thought this was a good book with an interesting premise. It was a bit confusing, but things are explained by the end of the book, which then left off with a cliffhanger. You have to read it to understand this.

This was actually a short book, but it's part 1 of 6, which I think will keep the age group it's recommended for, 8 to 12 years old, interested and get them to keep reading because it is not an overwhelming length.

In summary, I enjoyed this book and think 8 to 12 year olds would find it intriguing.

4/5 stars.

I received a copy of this book free of charge in exchange for my honest opinion. ( )

This is a great SF series, mainly for 'tweens with short attention spans. Each book has different characters and a different 'what if' concept, and each will provoke. Read them with your child and then have some interesting conversations.

The 'frame' of the 'Watchers' unifies them and makes them 'more than the sum of their parts' as the saying goes. However, I have to admit, even after reading all six, I did not quite understand the frame. So if you don't, don't worry about it. Probably your child will if you have those conversations that I recommend. ;)

They are just a bit intense. Besides the SF issues, there are bullies, adults with mental illness, avarice, etc. If your child is under age 10, read them first. But don't censor or shelter - just be ready for questions.

(I'm copying this review for all six books.) ( )

David's father was slowly losing his mind before he disappeared six months ago. David has begun to give up on finding him when he sees him on an abandoned subway station. With the help of a friend, he is determined to crack the mystery and find out what is really going on.

I thought the book was extremely short. Although the mystery was solved, nothing was really explained. I realize that there will be more books in the series, but I thought too much was left out of this book for it to make much sense. Overall, I was disappointed with this book. ( )

http://persyandarty.blogspot.com/2010/12/persy-last-stop-by-peter-lerangis.html
Oh how I wish I could find the rest of the series. ( )